England North South divide

[ianstone]

From The Times

June 9, 2010


People in North of England are still likely to be poorer and less healthy




Sam Lister, Richard Ford



2 Comments (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article7146446.ece#comment-have-your-say)
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div#related-article-links p a, div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;} England remains a country of health and wealth divides, with those in the North likely to be poorer and live shorter lives more prone to serious illness.
The disparity — which the previous Government pledged to reduce — has shown little change according to the Office for National Statistics.
The North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber have lower life expectancy and higher mortality rates from cancer, respiratory and circulatory diseases compared with the England average.
The 42nd Regional Trends report also shows that the number of over-65s will increase to more than 15 million within 21 years. More than a fifth of the population will be over 65 by 2031, with big increases in the number of the very old. The greying of the country will bring huge challenges for governments. Age UK, the charity working for older people, said that politicians had to address social care for the elderly as a priority. “[It] is the big social policy issue of our time. We have an ageing population and their needs are not going to go away. The system we have cannot cope”, a spokeswoman said.
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The number aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 9.6 million in 2006 to 15.7 million by 2031. Those aged 75 and over will rise from 4.6 million to 8.2 million.


The NHS / PCT post code lottery lives on for the north south divide, sadly

[joelee]

Is there more industry in th north? Or is there just a lower average standard of living?

[ianstone]

It was massive manual industry and agriculture base along with the pits (coal mines). Heavily working class and colder weather.
All these now decimated and whole towns and communities, have gone or are full of thousands of unemployed.
Over the last 25 -40 years there has been a massive Asian influx topped up with hundred of thousands of different nationalities, legals and illegals.
The north is swamped with none working people with nothing to look forward to. From work hard and play hard to a loss of the society they knew, slowly it is rebuilding, but it is only a shadow of its former self.
The south has more affluent people and inherited wealth and obviously the capital.
Sadly the heart is being torn out of small communities around the whole of the UK and the south has filthy rich pockets of wealth.
The wealth has slowly stopped trickling down the chain and drugs and violence and drugs has filled the vacuum.
There are some success stories in the north but not a noticeable amount. Briefly that it.

[joelee]

It is a shame to see once thriving places fall into disrepair and people lose their jobs and then hope. I wish them luck.
Thanks for the info.